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* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
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....:~=*&& SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& AND A GIFT SHOP. &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# CONSIDERED POOR. #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## SOME ARE SHATTERED. ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# ** #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ ** ** ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& ~~~~~~~ * * ~~~~~~~ &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& ** ** &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& ** &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# LIT FROM BEHIND. #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& ** &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& ** ** &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& ~~~~~~~ * * ~~~~~~~ &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ ** ** ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# ** #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## FLOOR. ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## BECOME STILL. ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ ** ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& ** ** &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& ~~~~~~~ * * ~~~~~~~ &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& ** ** &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ ** ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. #¶&&*=~:..
.:~=*&&¶## ##¶&&*=~:.
..:~=*&&¶# SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER #¶&&*=~:..
...:~=*&&¶ THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ¶&&*=~:...
....:~=*&& GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND &&*=~:....
.....:~=*& I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE &*=~:.....
....:~=*&& THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? &&*=~:....
...:~=*&&¶ ¶&&*=~:...
..:~=*&&¶# I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. #¶&&*=~:..
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